During the Emmy Awards 2025 ceremony in Los Angeles, Hannah Einbinder, star of the Hacks series, won the prize for the best actress in a supporting role in a comic series. His thank you speech, mixing humor and political commitment, was however partially censored by the CBS channel, causing a lively controversy.
Sunday evening, after having expressed his gratitude to his colleagues and the hack team, Einbinder wanted to conclude by launching a more personal message: “Go Birds, F *** Ice, Free Palestine”.
“Go Birds” referred to his support for Philadelphia Eagles. “F *** ICE” criticized the American border control agency (immigration and customs, undermining). “Free Palestine” expressed support for the Palestinian cause.
The end of his speech, in particular the last two declarations, was censored during the live broadcast by CBS. Outdoor recordings show, however, that the public present heard these words, which denounced both the massive expulsion program in the United States and Israeli bombardments on Gaza.
An assumed political commitment
Hannah Einbinder is one of the 3,900 cinema personalities who have signed an open letter announcing their refusal to work with Israeli cinematographic institutions involved in what they describe as genocide and apartheid against the Palestinians. Among the co-signs: Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem, the latter bearing a keffieh during the ceremony as a sign of solidarity.
After the delivery of her prize, Einbinder explained that, as a Jew, she felt forced to distinguish her religion and her culture from the State of Israel. She also mentioned her friends doctors working in Gaza with vulnerable populations, especially pregnant women and children in refugee camps.
Artists launch calls for a “free Palestine”
Einbinder was not the only one to use the Emmy Awards gallery for political messages. Other celebrities, including Javier Bardem, Natasha Rothwell and Chris Perfetti, have taken a stand for a cease-fire in Gaza, by carrying pins “Artists4ceasefire” or Keffiehs.
The censorship applied by CBS, a subsidiary of Paramount, recalls the limits imposed on political declarations in television ceremonies, as illustrated by the case of host Stephen Colbert, criticized for his positions against Donald Trump. Nevertheless, Einbinder’s speech strongly marked the spirits and strengthened his reputation as an engaged artist.
